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Rural seat belt campaign underway

Logan County usage stats higher than state average

The Colorado Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies are targeting rural drivers this week in a campaign focused on seat belt use.

The push comes from statistics that show seat belt usage rates in Colorado's rural communities tend to be lower than the state average — as low as 67 percent in Baca County. However, results from the 2015 statewide seat belt survey actually estimate usage in Logan County is higher than the state average.

The survey was conducted in the 29 counties that make up 85 percent of the crash-related fatalities for 2007 to 2009. Observers and quality control monitors recorded whether drivers and front seat passengers were wearing seat belts at selected sites over a two-week period. It determined that the average usage statewide for all vehicle types is just over 85 percent — nearly a three-point improvement over 2014 — while in Logan County, usage was estimated at about 90 percent.

Colorado's seat belt laws make violations for adult drivers and front-seat passengers a secondary violation, meaning drivers can't be stopped for it but can be ticketed if stopped for another reason. All teen drivers under 18 and their passengers are required to wear seat belts, and can be pulled over for seat belt violations. Drivers can also be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees and unrestrained or improperly restrained child under age 16 in the vehicle.

Fines for not buckling up start at $65; parents or caregivers caught with an improperly restrained child will be fines a minimum of $82.

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"Motorists may find citations frustrating, but it's the best way for our officers to remind unbuckled motorists of the consequences of not wearing a seat belt in a crash," said Col. Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "The intention of the seat belt enforcement is to ensure the well-being of all people on the road. Refusing to buckle up does not just affect you — you also put those around you at risk."

To directly reach rural communities, CDOT will be running a targeted social media campaign to encourage seat belt use. The videos in the campaign focus on a simple idea: friends and family tell you to buckle up because they care about your safety — law enforcement does it for the same reason.

Buckled motorists and passengers reduce their risk of death in traffic crashes by 45 percent. In a crash, unbelted passengers can become projectiles and severely injure themselves and other occupants. Unbuckled passengers are also 30 times more likely to be ejected — one of the most lethal outcomes of crashes. Unbelted rear-seat passengers increase the fatality risk for the driver by 137 percent.

"CDOT is committed to ensuring all Coloradans are aware of the benefits of seat belts and the severe risks of neglecting them," said Darrell Lingk, Director of the Office of Transportation Safety at CDOT. "We hope these enforcements remind rural communities that whatever the excuse may be, there is no acceptable reason for not buckling up."

In 2014, seat belts saved an estimated 12,802 lives nationwide, including 169 in Colorado. An additional 63 lives could have been saved in Colorado if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants five and older involved in fatal crashes had been properly restrained. For more information about seat belt safety and enforcement citation numbers, visit SeatBeltsColorado.com.

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